[Lazyhead]

I often come to this forum to seek out ideas for saving money. I have found great tips and come back often when I get lazy about hanging my clothes on the clothesline or ordering too much take-out.

I know that for many people being extremely frugal is the only way they are able to have certain things or allowed certain choices--SAHMing or caring for very large families for example. That is very respectable.
But I think, environmentally and sustainably, there are things more important than cheapness. Shopping at small, locally owned, independent stores preserves unique towns and regional flavors that are lost when everyone buys the same stuff at Walmart and buying meat and dairy from local producers that you know ensures a higher quality of food and generally more humane conditions.
So, my question is this: Do you feel that being very frugal means you have to scrimp on quality? I guess this mostly pertains to food...I could not possibly care any less about buying fancy clothing or brand-new hardcover books but I will fork out a pretty penny for locally produced farmhouse cheese...KWIM?

 

[mama_b]

We have to be very frugal, but we don't scrimp on quality, at least for food. I do most of my shopping at whole foods. I just have to really watch what I buy. I don't cook a lot of meat. Beans and rice are cheap. I can buy stuff in bulk. It is definitely possible to eat high quality food cheaply.

ETA: This is my 1000th post!

: How in the heck did that happen?

 

[shoefairy3]

I'd say go for the great farmhouse cheese

It is more than better for you...you are supporting our farmers which imo is better than being frugal
Plus you can save in other areas so you can afford the great produce, etc

i think it is like buying from a WAHM...sometimes it is more costly, but you know what you are buying and you are supporting a mommy (or daddy) to stay home with their kid(s)

 

[momto l&a]

If you buy quailty then you wont have to buy another for along time most lileky

If one buys cheap then you end up having to replace said cheap item frequently. IMO

take for example shoes. I use to buyexpensive shoes for my oldest. They have lasted 3children and still look great. I buy a pair of cheap shoes and they dont even last one child

:

 

[sincitymama]

I htink for a lot of people (sounds like you're one) use frugality wherever reasonably possible in their lives in order to open up options for themselves, create some wiggle room in the budget. For some this might mean saving for a house, for someone liek you it means the ability to choose higher quality local food purchases that you feel good about. Someone else might buy the cheapest food possible in order to afford those hardcover books becaus eit means more to them. It's about priorities and frugality is a great way to achieve thos ekinds of goals.

 

[member]

I think quality and expensive are often frugal because cheap is often, well, cheap and you end up re-buying the item sooner.

 

[ladywolf]

I believe other posters have said it well, frugality is not being cheap, it is the best use of your resources. Buying an expensive item that lasts for 10 years is much better then buying a cheap item that has to be replaced often.

Being frugal allows me to use my resources more wisely.

For example: we are going on vacation the first week of September. I am trying to save as much money as possible so nothing has to go on a credit card or we feel deprived. Last night we had the option to go out for smoothies or make smoothies at home. We made smoothies at home. It probably saved us close to $10 and everything about the experience was better: better ingredients, better portion size, better cost.

To me, this is being frugal.

 

[USAmma]

Nope, in fact I'm hoping our new budget will allow dh and I to save up for some nice quality clothes instead of buying junk. I hope that by next season I should be able to buy some nice Land's End clothes and guilt-free too!

I have always bought quality baby products so I can get 50% resale for them through the paper. I take care of them while we have them. The cheap stuff doesn't resell but the name brands do.

 

[Lazyhead]

I like what you guys are saying and ITA. I read on another thread about stocking up on 99 cent ground beef and got a little worked up

 

[BetsyS]

I think the beauty of being frugal is making it work for you.

If your priority is to shop local, then by cutting down on the amount of electricity you use, then you're able to have the wiggle room to do that.

If your priority is to travel, then you can cut down your grocery and entertainment budgets at home to practically nothing in order to do that.

You have to decide what's important, what's not, and then prioritize your frugality based on that.

 

[Om Girl]

: all of that!

 

[MaddieMay]

I think the others are absolutely right! Being frugal does not mean you are cheap, it's all about prioritizing. For my husband and I, tithing, travel, food, and our dog are some things that are important to us. Things like going to concerts or movies are not important. It's a matter of balancing the priorities and cutting back on the things that are not important.

I would love to pay 99 cents for ground beef as much as anyone else, but the ground beef *I* see for 99 cents at the store is, IMO, gross. So, I gladly pay more for quality beef. In order to pay for that quality beef, I make up for that by not going to the movies, etc. It also keeps us healthy, which means less doctor's visits, sick days, etc.

I know what you mean about getting worked up when you hear others-I am on this couponing group that posts good deals, etc. However, most of them don't apply to our situation. I constantly hear, "I got 6 boxes of Toaster Strudels for 50 cents each! My kids are going to love me-they can have them for breakfast every day for a couple of weeks!" Honestly, how healthy is that, though? I know our family is making (or at least trying to LOL) the right choices, but I can't help but get a little jealous. I mean, I wish I could get a great deal on organic milk or something! However, I have to remind myself that every family does things differently.

Nicole

 

[Ruthiegirl]

It depends on your reasons for being frugal. Cutting back expenses so you can fund a vacation, that's voluntary. Scrimping every dime so you can feed your family till next pay day, that's different.

We are frugal. We are also broke on occasion. And if I was hungry enough, I would eat that "gross" hambuger and those cheap toaster strudels.

 

[Boobs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruthiegirl It depends on your reasons for being frugal. Cutting back expenses so you can fund a vacation, that's voluntary. Scrimping every dime so you can feed your family till next pay day, that's different. We are frugal. We are also broke on occasion. And if I was hungry enough, I would eat that "gross" hambuger and those cheap toaster strudels.

Yeah, I was gonna say something along those lines. I think there's a difference between being frugal because it's the smart thing to do and because you're reprioritizing your money, and then there's being frugal because you're flat broke and struggling and squeezing every penny until it bleeds.
So sometimes while I know that Product A is better quality and worth every penny, Product C is the one I can get this payday. Big difference.
Sometimes .99 cent/lb ground beef is better than nothing at all.

 

[dharmamama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazyhead So, my question is this: Do you feel that being very frugal means you have to scrimp on quality?

For me, being frugal means reducing the amount of stuff I buy so that, when I do buy, I can select the best item for me, my community, the earth, and the world without making pricing the driving factor.

We don't buy much "stuff" so that we can afford to buy organic food.

Namaste!

 

[MaddieMay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruthiegirl It depends on your reasons for being frugal. Cutting back expenses so you can fund a vacation, that's voluntary. Scrimping every dime so you can feed your family till next pay day, that's different. We are frugal. We are also broke on occasion. And if I was hungry enough, I would eat that "gross" hambuger and those cheap toaster strudels.

Oh gosh, I'm totally sorry about what I wrote-it came off the wrong way! I didn't mean to sound like a snot. What I meant that being frugal does not HAVE to mean being cheap, but that's not always the case. I wrote based on our situation right now-we live on a modest income, so we have to prioritize what's important.

Believe me, I have definitely been there. I have bought the 99 cent ground beef because our weekly grocery budget was only $25 or $30. I remember feeling like crying in the grocery store. It made me feel better that I knew how to stretch that money to make it last all week, even if we weren't eating the way we really wanted to. While I hope to never have to do that again, if my husband suddenly became unemployed, I'd do it in a heartbeat if I had to.

I guess what really frustrates me is people who have the means that still choose to feed their kids junk instead of a healthy alternative. Just like people who let their kids sit in front of the TV for hours instead of playing outside. But that's another soapbox for a different forum, I'm sure.

Again, my apologies if I offended anyone. It was certainly not my intent. Next time, I'll reread my message and not type while tired!

Nicole

 

[Ruthiegirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicole! Again, my apologies if I offended anyone. It was certainly not my intent. Next time, I'll reread my message and not type while tired! Nicole

No offense taken here. It would take a lot more than that to offend me.

I think a lot of us have learned better ways to feed our families on a tight budget by spending a few minutes reading this forum. While ground beef can be an inexpensive way to feed a family, beans and rice can be even cheaper and healthier. But it takes time and energy to learn how to cook new foods, qualities that are often missing from an impoverished life.

This forum is a great place to get new ideas and motivation to stay strong in the face of easy-to-get credit cards and loans. I could shop at Whole Foods too, I would simply go into debt to do it.

And to answer the op, for me, being frugal is the act of buying very little. In my case, frugality is a way out of debt and onto a path to financial freedom. Right now, I am doing without so that I can buy land and live the life I really want. Instead of buying a cheap version of something, I simply don't buy anything.

 

[p.s]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruthiegirl No offense taken here. It would take a lot more than that to offend me. I think a lot of us have learned better ways to feed our families on a tight budget by spending a few minutes reading this forum. While ground beef can be an inexpensive way to feed a family, beans and rice can be even cheaper and healthier. But it takes time and energy to learn how to cook new foods, qualities that are often missing from an impoverished life. This forum is a great place to get new ideas and motivation to stay strong in the face of easy-to-get credit cards and loans. I could shop at Whole Foods too, I would simply go into debt to do it. And to answer the op, for me, being frugal is the act of buying very little. In my case, frugality is a way out of debt and onto a path to financial freedom. Right now, I am doing without so that I can buy land and live the life I really want. Instead of buying a cheap version of something, I simply don't buy anything.

Well written! I admire your strength in this age of consumption and attitude that self-denial is criminal.

 

[Mizelenius]

In this day and age, I think being frugal just means living within your means. How many people do that?

Also, there is a difference between VOLUNTARY frugality and FORCED frugality. For most of us, it is forced (meaning we can't buy everything we want) but there is a huge range here, the difference being how much "disposable" income one has.

 

[EmilyS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruthiegirl And to answer the op, for me, being frugal is the act of buying very little.

I think this is so true. I gre up in a large family where we bought a lot of stuff from garage sales and thrift shops so i never felt like I was deprived but at the same time I had way too many clothes and things...With our 4 month old girl we are trying to do things differently. I think my parents did a great job raising us to be aware of recycling and such but I think that we also grew up to be materialistic. My goal with my children is to buy way less, but buy quality that sustains the planet we live on. For example, Clare only really needs three t-shirts (rather than 10 from a thrift store) and I can buy those from an organic cotton seller for the same price as I woudl pay at a garage sale for 10. KWIM? I think i may have just made a lot of UNSENSE, but basically I was just saying you are right!